Description

The bench, Bossche School, Dom Hans van der Laan, Jan de Jong, Netherlands, 1960s. Dutch Benedictine monk and architect. Dom Hans van der Laan was a leading figure in the Bossche School. His theories on numerical ratios in architecture and furniture, in particular regarding the plastic number (Plastisch Getal) were very influential. In 1977 architect and monk Dom Hans van der Laan published his tract "The Architectural Space, 15 Lessons on the Disposition of the Human Residence". It is a theory that seeks to grasp and organize the essence of the spatial experience as the basis for the design process. The exhibition "A house for the mind" explores the tangible world around Van der Laan's philosophy. "The Architectural Space", a hermetic work to this day, is thrown open for once in a new laboratory from the past to the future. While writing his tract, Van der Laan built Roosenberg Abbey in Waasmunster. He worked intuitively with concepts such as "proximity" and "superposition", as spatial gestures for stillness and spirituality on the one hand and intensity of encounter on the other. In addition to original drawings and models, "A house for the mind" shows new analyzes by academics and artists on Van der Laan's teaching materials, furniture, crockery, clothing, and typography.